just when i thought it was running ok...

the rangie has been running fine the last couple of months, then suddenly today 'pow' low coolant level warning on the dash and steam pouring out from under the bonnet!

so let it cool down and topped up water and it's taken nearly 7 litres to top up, and water is pouring from the passenger side inner wing like an open tap. will investigate more tomorrow but i think it's most likely the heater control valve or one of the hoses. the valve is my gut feeling as i fitted a pattern part from america a couple of months back and since seen reports the plastic goes brittle and they crack & leak, good job my original one is still sat in the garage!

Expansion tanks are known to split!

water is defiately leaking from heater control valve area couldn't miss it lol

as suspected, the heater control valve failed, this is a ebay one from the states 'claiming' to be genuine oem, after 6 weeks the plastic has gone brittle and broken

I wonder why the complication of a water control valve has been re-introduced when blend flaps did a perfectly good job with a full flow heater matrix?

never used to have issues before all this electronic malarky was added